Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-22

Lincoln: he insists on riding by the side OF
Mrs Ordn' This Of course added fuel to the
flame. ''What do you mean by that, sir?'
she cried. Seward discovered that he had
made huge mistake, and his horse at once
developed a popularity that compelled him to
| ride behind to get out of the way Of the
| storm.
| Finally the party arrived at its destina-
| ton, and Mrs Ord came up to the ambu-
| lance. Then Mrs Lincoln positively insulted
her, called her vile names in the presence of
q crowd of officers and asked what she meant
by following up the president The poor
woman burst into tears and inquired what
she had done, but Mrs. Lincoln refused to be
appeased, and stormed till she was tired.
Mrs. Grant still tried to stand by her friend,
and everybody was shocked and Mortified.
But all things come to an end, and after
awhile we returned to City Point.
That night the president and Mrs. Lincoln
entertained Gen. and Mrs. Grant and the
generals staff at dinner on the steamer, and
before US all Mrs Lincoln berated Gen. Ord
to the president and urged that he should be
removed. He was unfit for his place, she
said, to say nothing of his wife. Gen. Grant
sat next and defended his officer bravely.
Of course Gen. Ord was not removed.
During all this visit similar scenes were
occurring. Mrs. Lincoln repeatedly attacked
her husband in the presence of officers be-
cause of these two ladies, and never suffered
greater humiliation and pain on account of
one not near personal friend than when
saw the head of the state-the man who car
ried all the cares Of the nation at such crisis
subjected to this inexpressible public NOR
tification He bore it as Christ might have
done, with an expression Of pain and sadness
that cut one to the heart, but with supreme
calmness and dignity. He called her "moth
err with his old time plainness; he pleaded
with eyes and tones, and endeavored TO ex-
plain CT pal!iate the offenses of others, till she
turned on him like tigress and then he
walked away, hiding that noble, ugly face
that we might not catch the full expression
of its misery.
THE MARTYR PRESIDENTS COURTESY.
Gen. Sherman was a witness of some Of
these episodes and mentioned them in his
memoirs many years ago. Capt. Barnes, of
the navy, was witness and sufferer too.
Barnes had accompanied Mrs. Ord on her
unfortunae ride and refused afterward to say
that the lady was to blame Mrs. Lincoln
never forgave him. A day or two afterward
he went to speak to the president on some
official matter when Mrs. Lincoln and sew
eral others were present. The presidents
wife said something to him unusually often
sive that all the company could hear. Lin
coin was silent, but after moment he went
up to the young officer and taking him by
the arm led him into his own cabin, to show
him a map or paper he said. He made no
remark, Barnes told me, upon what had oc-
CURED He could not rebuke his wife, but
he showed bis regret and regard for the
officer with a touch Of what seemed to me
the most exquisite breeding.
After the murder of the president the &C.
centricities of Mrs. Lincoln became more ap-
parent than ever, and people began to Won
der whether her mind had not been affected
by her terrible misfortune. Mr.. Seward
told me that she sold the presidents shirts,
with his initials marked on them, before she
left the White House. and that, learning; the
linen was for sale at a shop in Pennsylvania
avenue, he sent and bought it privately. |
She fingered at the executive mansion a long |
while after ell arrangements should have |
been made for her departure, keeping the
new president out of his proper residence.
Afterward she made appeals to public men |
and to the country for pensions and other !
pecuniary aid, though there was no need for |
public application. She went abroad doing |
strange things and carrying the honored
name of Abraham Lincoln into strange and |
sometimes unfit company. for she was
greatly neglected and felt the neglect. |
While | was consul general at London l |
learned Of her living in an obscure quarter |
and went to see her. She was touched by |
the attention, and when l asked her 10 my |
house-for it seemed wrong that the widow
of the man who had done 50 much for us
al should be ignored by any American rep
resentatiVe-she wrote me note Of thanks, |
betraying how rare such courtesies had be-
come to her then.
The next heard of the poor woman was
the scandal of the courts in Chicago when |
the fact was made clear that she was insane
It was great relief to me to learn it. and
doubtless the disclosure of the secret which
her son must have long uspected-thoGgh,
like the Spartan boy, he cloaked his pain
was to him sort of terrible satisfaction. It
vinGicated his conduct; it told for him what
he had concealed; it proved him 4 worthy
son of that great father who also bore his
fate so heroically.-A Badeau in New
York World.